A composite business process uses multiple trading mechanisms, such as requests for quotes (RFQs), auctions and contracts, or repeat passes through a single trading mechanism, over the life cycle of a single business object. For example, the results of an RFQ may need to be converted to a contract before the transaction is complete, or an auction may be performed in multiple stages with the first stage identifying serious bidders who will be involved in any subsequent stages.
While the individual business processes within a composite business process are typically well defined, there is currently no effective mechanism for efficiently integrating the individual business processes within a larger composite business process. In addition, there is currently no automated way of converting and moving a business object from one trading mechanism type to another.
A number of techniques have been proposed or suggested for integrating individual business processes within a larger composite business process. For example, collaborative supply chain management approaches included, for example, in the WebSphere Business Integrator from IBM Corp., and event-driven process chain (EPC) systems, such as those developed by IDS Scheer AG of Germany, provide flexibility in creating dynamic flows of business objects. These approaches, however, do not integrate existing stand-alone business processes to create a single fixed sequence composite business process in a structured way.
Likewise, systems that are designed to support the specific needs of a complex business process do not provide sufficient flexibility and an efficient use of system resources. Specifically, any variation to an individual component business process within a larger composite business process forces the replication of the entire composite business process, and a duplication of all of the resources that are required to manage the composite business process.
A need therefore exists for a simple and flexible mechanism for connecting established business processes together, without sacrificing system resources or the needs of businesses to maintain an established process. Yet another need exists for creating and managing composite business processes that allows existing shared business processes to remain independent, yet be easily connected together to address the needs of the business.